Electromagnetic railway-switch.



No. 756,316. PATBNTED APR. 5, 1904.

- R. BALDWIN.

ELEGTROMAGNETIG RAILWAY SWITGH.

APPLICATION EILEE DBO. 1a, 1902. RENEWED JULY 24. 1903.

H0 MODEL.

511-10011 l'or [fa/Z1}? A. Ba/clw/n 5513A illfozllcl 776 UNITED STATESPatented April 5, 1904.

ROLLIN A. BALDWIN, OF SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO BALDW'INAND ROWLAND SWITCH COMPANY,

NEW YORK.

A CORPORATION OF ELECTROMAGN ETIC RAI LWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,316, dated April 5,1904.

Application filed December 18, 1902. Renewed July 24, 1903- Serial No.166,912. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, RoLLIN A. BALDWIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at South Norwalk, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectromagnetic Railway-Switches, of which the following isa full,clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to electromagnetic IO switch-throwing mechanismfor railways especially adapted for electric railways where thepower-current is available for operating the device.

The invention involves two sets of solen- 5 oidal magnets acting upon acommon core or cores to reciprocate the same first in one direction andthen in the other as the circuit is changed from one set of magnets tothe other, and thus throwing the switch-point in correspondingdirections.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple form of device forautomatically setting or establishing the circuits after each operationof the switch, so that for the suc- 5 ceeding operation of the switchthe opposite set of magnets will always be energized.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the maintenance of thecircuit through one set of magnets until such time as it can mg.

3 ularly be shifted therefrom.

The invention will be described in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan of a portion ofelectricrailway track, showing the location and some of the circuits ofthe switch-throwing mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partially insection, of the switch-throwing mechanism; and Fig. 3 is a detail.

Referring to Fig. 2, A and B are two sets of solenoidal magnets havingtheir axes in line with each other and acting upon the common movablecores or armatures C. These cores move together as one structure andcarry a cross-heads, connected by means of a link 0? with theswitch-point c. This mechanism is especially designed to obtain a longthrow of the armatures C to meet certain conditions involving a systemof leverage between the cross-head and the switch-tongue. This system ofleverage, however, is omitted from the drawings as not forming a part ofthe invention, and the connection with the switchtongue isconventionally shown as direct.

The magnets are supported upon four standards f, g, 72 and 2', firmlysecured upon a suitable base D, of masonry or otherwise, and inclosed ina protecting-box, the latter not being shown.

The cross-head 0 has an extension containing a slot 0. In the same planewith this slot are two other slots g and h, located, respectively, inthe standards g and h. j is alight, preferably wooden, long barextending from a point near the standard f freely through the slots 9 0,and h and to a point near the standard 2'. This bar is supported andpivoted in the slot of the cross-head and is adapted to tilt in onedirection or the other, depending upon the position of the cross-headwith respect to the center of gravity of the bar. When the cross-headmoves from one position to the other, it slides or drags against theunder side of the bar along that portion between the standards 9 and h,and to prevent longitudinal movement of the bar when this takes placepins is are provided, which bear against the standards g and h andprevent such movement. Beneath each extremity of the bar and suitablyfixed to the base is an electromagnet'and a pair of contact posts, themagnet in one instance being lettered Z and the contact-posts Z, whilein the other instance the magnet is lettered m and the posts m. Each endof the bar carries an armature 0 0', respectively, and a circuitcloser 0and p, respectively. The circuitcloser consists of a plate carrying twometallic springs adapted to bear, respectively, upon the tops of thecontact-posts Z" and m to bridge the circuit between said posts.

The circuits will be described in connection with the operation, whichis as follows: This switch can be operated from any suitable source ofcurrent. by means of the propelling-current which supplies the cars ofthe railway. A section of As shown it is operated the track or returncircuit is insulated, as shown in Fig. 1, and from this section awire 1leads to the point 2, where it branches into two paths, one leading bywire 3 to one of the posts Z and the other by wire 4 to one of the postsm. From the other post, Z, a wire leads to magnet Z and thence by wire 5through solenoids A and wires 6 and 7 to the returncircuit. From theother post, m, a wire leads through magnet m and by wire 8 throughsolenoids B and wires 9 and 7 to the returncircuit. With the apparatusin the position shown the posts 171/ are bridged by the con tact devicep and the bar is tilted so that the contacts rest upon the posts. If acar now enters the insulated section of rails with the power on, currentwill obviously flow through the magnet on and the solenoid B. The magnetwill strongly attract and hold the end of bar j, while the solenoidswill draw the crosshead 0 to the left-hand position. In making thismovement the right-hand end of the bar 3' Will be shifted to theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the bar swinging, as it were,upon the head of magnet on as a fulcrum. This movement also-throws theswitch-tongue to the opposite position. The magnet m being in circuitwith the solenoid holds the circuit closed while the cross-head makesits long stroke. It also continues to hold the circuit closed as long asthe motorman keeps the power on and his car is in the insulated sectionof rails. When the car passes out of this section or if the motormancuts oil the power while in thesection, magnet m becomes deenergized,and the preponderance of weight of barjbeing then to the right of thecross-head said bar will tilt to the opposite position to that shown inFig. 2, thus opening the circuit across the posts m and closing itacross the posts Z. The mechanism is now set so that when current againflows through it it will take the path through the magnet Z and solenoidA and throw the switch in the opposite direction under the same actionas before described. If the motorman finds the switch-point properlyplaced for his car, he will allow his car to pass over the insulatedsection of rails by momentum only and the switch will not be thrown.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a railway-switch, thecombination of two electromagnets for throwing the switch in oppositedirections, two cut-outs, two electromagnets for the respectivecut-outs, said magnets being in circuit with the respectiveswitchthrowing magnets and an armature common to said switch-throwingmagnets and cooperating with the other magnets to control said cut-outs,substantially as described.

2. In a railway-switch, the combination of two electromagnets forthrowing the switch in opposite directions, an armature common to bothmagnets, a tilting bar having a movable pivot located on said armatureand' electric contacts in circuit with each magnet and adapted to beclosed and opened alternately by the tilting of said bar, substantiallyas described.

3. In a railway-switch, the combination of two electromagnets forthrowing the switch in opposite directions, an armature common to bothmagnets, a tilting bar having a movable pivot located on said armatureand electric contacts in circuit with each magnet and adapted to beclosed and opened alternately by the tilting of said bar, andelectromagnets in circuit with the first-mentioned magnet and thecontactsrespectively and adapted to hold said bar in one position whenthe center of gravity thereof would tend to tilt it to the oppositeposition. i

4:. In a railway-switch, the combination of two electromagnets forthrowing the switch in opposite directions, an armature common to bothmagnets, a cross-head carried by said armature, a bar having a slidingpivotal engagement with said cross-head whereby it may be caused to tiltfirst in one direction and then the other by the shifting of the pivotand circuit-closers for the respective magnets operated by the tiltingbar, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ROLLIN A. BALDWVIN.

Witnesses:

JAooB M. LAYTON, JAMEs PAUL.

